Falling Stars
by SoraIsMyHomeboy
Summary: Katie, a young girl from Destiny Islands, wants nothing more than to adventure with her friends Sora, Riku, Kairi and Roxas. But she will soon learn that you should be careful what you wish for... OCxSora. T to be safe. my first fic! please review!
1. Prologue

Falling Stars

I've always wanted to do something heroic. My friends Sora and Riku are always off on adventures, fighting Heartless and saving worlds. Kairi sometimes even stows away with them too. But I'm always stuck here on these islands only hearing of adventure in the tales they return with. That's what I think about every night before I fall asleep. If I ever do.

I laid awake a long time that night, thinking about that. The epic quests I was missing out on, the missions they were enjoying without me. And it was all because they were "trying to protect me". Who are they to kick me out of the group just because it's dangerous? What if I wanna help? I can face a little danger! They don't think I worry about THEM?

The more I thought about everything, the angrier I became. Finally, I groaned and sat up in bed. I'd never get to sleep now. I opened the window for some fresh air and gazed out at the moon. At that moment, a falling star flashed across the night sky. Quickly, I made a wish.

"I wish I got to go on an adventure," I whispered to myself. I waited, half expecting the sky to light up and suck me into a completely different dimension.

I sighed. Nothing happened. I lay back down and tossed and turned, trying to sleep. Little did I know that I was about to get the biggest surprise of my life, because the adventure I was about to get was much bigger and more dangerous than I had bargained for.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The sun was high in the sky when I awoke the next morning. I could hear the seagulls soaring above the waters that lapped up against the shore. I knew everyone was already outside waiting for me, because I could hear their voices. We met every day by the big palm tree that was in front of our houses. I heard Sora, loud and talkative as usual, then Kairi's energetic voice, and Riku's occasional grunt. Then I heard another voice, one I heard less often than the other three. I quickly looked at the calendar on my wall. It was the first Saturday of the month! Today was the day Roxas always came over to visit! I threw on jeans and my favorite T-shirt and ran out the door.

As I ran up to the group, Sora teased, "Well _some_body decided to sleep in!"

"Did you forget what day it was, doofus?" giggled Kairi.

"Uh, yeah. I guess I did," I mumbled, still a little tired from the restless night.

"Well thanks Katie, I feel loved!" laughed Roxas.

I couldn't help but chuckle along with him. Roxas had been my friend practically since birth. We are almost like brother and sister. When he moved away from the islands seven years ago, it was rough. But I started spending a lot more time with Sora after that, and obviously Riku and Kairi too, but it's when I'm alone with Sora that I feel most comfortable. Somehow he just makes me feel…safe.

Kairi's voice cut off my thoughts. "So what are we gonna do today?"

"Go out to the island like always!" yelled Sora enthusiastically.

"Fine, but I'm not doing races again," said Riku.

"How about another sword fight tournament?" suggested Sora.

"Naw, I suck at those," Kairi said.

"Well, what about surfing?" cried Sora.

"It's too annoying to haul everything to the island with us," replied Riku.

"Yeah, I guess…" said Sora, bummed.

I glanced over at Roxas and I could tell he had an idea.

"How about Snag the Fish?" he announced.

Everyone froze and stared at him in disbelief. Even me. Snag the Fish was a game Roxas and I had invented when we were four years old and none of us had played it since we were about seven. Roxas and I had found a beached fish one day, but when we tried to help it, it kept flopping away. We had chased it all over the island, trying to catch it. So we decided to make a game out of it. The idea was to get back to the safe zone without being snagged. It was basically a glorified version of Tag.

No one knew what to say. Finally I broke the silence.

"I'll play," I said.

"All right!" cheered Roxas.

"OK, count me in!" added Sora.

Riku just shook his head. "I can't believe we're doing this."


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Once we got out to the island, it was great. The sky was blue, the sun shone warmly, and the ocean was calm and peaceful.

Suddenly, Kairi yelled, "Not it!" Everyone else quickly did the same.

"Aww man!" cried Sora, who was the last to say it. "OK, you all have to get back to the star-shaped tree here to be safe! You get thirty seconds to run and then I'm coming to snag you!"

He closed his eyes and started to count, and we all exploded in different directions. I ran from the cove onto the other side of the island, trying to decide where to go. If I crouched behind the shack and he ran by without noticing me, I'd have a straight shot for the door to the cove, then I could hopefully dash to the tree before he caught me. On the other hand, if I waited out by the paopu tree and jumped down from the bridge…

I heard him coming. I had to decide quickly. I ran behind the shack. That's when I heard something else. A low moaning gust of wind. It sounded like it was coming from the cave.

_That's weird,_ I thought to myself. No air could be coming from in there unless there was an opening somewhere inside the cave.

I glanced back at the beach. Sora was distracted chasing down Riku and Roxas. I heard Kairi yelling at them to run for their lives in the distance. I quickly but silently slipped into the cavern.

I walked further and further into the tunnel and my friends' laughter slowly faded into the distance. I emerged into the small enclosed room of the cave to find…

Nothing. I didn't see anything that could be the source of the noise. There was a small hole in the ceiling that sunlight poured in through, but the wind I heard sounded like it was coming from within the cave, not just blowing through. Like something inside was the source of it.

I shrugged. _Must have just been hearing things, _I told myself. But then I heard it again. A low dying breeze, but this time followed by an eerie creaking noise. A chill shot down my spine. I whipped around.

The large wooden door at the back of the cave had creaked open a tiny bit. Then it slowly shut again. I inched closer. No one had ever gone in there before; I hadn't even realized it was a door.

It started to open again, but this time, it opened all the way, revealing a dark winding staircase, spiraling down to who-knows-where. My heartbeat started to pick up the pace now. But despite my fear, I felt myself step closer and closer to the entrance. It was as if the dark depths were calling me down, inviting me to discover where they led.

_Get outta here!_ screamed my common sense. But as if in a trance, I kept walking until I found myself descending the wooden stairs. Suddenly, another deep gust of wind sucked itself down into the tunnel. It also sucked the door shut with a loud slam.

I turned around and pushed on the large wooden mass with all my might but it wouldn't budge. I was trapped. I wanted to bang on the door and scream for help, but everyone would be back by the star tree already. And by the time the realized I was gone and came looking for me, I would be too tired to yell anymore.

I slumped to the ground in despair. _Well, only one way to go now_, I told myself. I got up and once again started to descend into the pitch black.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

I had never told anyone, but deep down, I was still really afraid of the dark. That's why I loved stars so much. They reminded me that even in the deepest darkness, there's always a little light.

"Well, except in here," I grumbled to myself. I couldn't see a thing. I had to feel along the rock wall to make sure I didn't topple over. _Why had I ever gotten curious about this darn cave_? I asked myself in my head. I would be much safer out in the sun on the island with Sora and Roxas and everyone else.

Then, I found myself on level ground again. I was at the bottom of the stairs. And in front of me, I felt a large wooden board. It felt just like the other door. Only this time, it had a thick handle on one side. I yanked it open.

I was confused. Before me was another cave, but this one was well-lit with candles. I shut the "door" behind me, which from this side was a large rock wall with a mural of the moon and some stars painted on it. At least there was some light. But I realized that unfortunately, there was no handle on this side of the cave. I was trapped. Again.

"I've got to be the unluckiest person alive," I grumbled. I decided to explore and see if there was any other way out. I trudged through the knee-deep water in front of me and saw some stairs. These led up and I decided that was better than going down farther.

"Is this some cruel joke?" I wondered, as I reached the top of the stairs. It was an empty room. I took a step forward, ready to look around for more hidden trap doors or tunnels. Suddenly, a floating slab of floorboard descended from above. I was surprised at first, but then just in shock as it hovered there in front of me. It's as if it were waiting for me.

I shrugged and climbed on. As it floated up, all I was thinking was, _This is a dream. All a dream. Any minute now I'll wake up and it will be Saturday morning and I'll go outside to see Riku and Kairi and Roxas and Sora and we'll hang out on the island and I won't be riding a floor board._

In a minute, I still hadn't woken up. Instead, the floor had risen all the way up to an odd little hut. "What now?" I groaned as I stepped into the open space. Then I heard voices outside the window.

"Something's in there!" one said quietly.

"Shh, it will hear you!" another whispered.

I inched toward the window. "Um, hello?" I called out. "Is someone there? Because I'm really lost and I need some help!"

"Don't say anything," I heard one voice whisper. "It could be one of them!"

This made me freeze. One of who? Who were these people? What did they want? Could I trust them? I paused to listen. They fell silent too. Finally, I took a deep breath and spoke.

"Hello? Anyone there? I'm lost, I just wanna find my friends…"

"OK!" one of the voices yelled enthusiastically. Then a young girl with black hair and boots up to her knees popped in. "Aaah!" I jumped back, startled.

"It's OK, Merlin! It's just a girl! Everything's safe!" she announced. An old man with a long white beard stumbled in.

"Oh, I suppose it is, but still, one can't be too careful…" he said as he carried a bag to the middle of the room. "Hi!" the other girl said, waving. "I'm the Great Ninja Yuffie! And you are?"

"Um, I'm Katie," I replied. As Merlin started magically pulling furniture from his bag and setting it up in the room, Yuffie asked me, "So…what brings you to Traverse Town?"

Traverse Town? Sora had told me about this world once. It was the first world he had been to outside Destiny Islands. Sora. For the first time it occurred to me that everyone still had no idea where I was. They would still be looking for me, wondering where I was. Then my parents would find out I was gone. They'd be so worried…

My eyes started to get watery as I fought back tears. Yuffie looked surprised. "I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to offend you…"

"No," I sniffed, rubbing tears from my eyes, "It's not you. I just…I wanna go home." At that moment, all the lights in the room went out. An eerie chill started to seep through my body. I shivered and asked, "What's happening?"

"Shhh!" Yuffie whispered hoarsely, "Hide behind me and stay down!" I did as she said and hid behind a dresser, but as I peered around the edge, I saw mist seep in through the entrance. Then it swirled around a large puddle of darkness that had appeared on the floor and the darkness mixed with the fog.

The resulting creature was unlike anything I had ever seen.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

When I originally saw the darkness on the floor start to bring forth a creature, I thought Heartless. I didn't actually know what Heartless looked like, but Sora had told me about them and apparently they could travel by sinking into the ground. But he never described them like this. This monster was almost like a huge black wolf. It had piercing eyes, massive paws, and razor sharp teeth. But on its head, it didn't have ears; it had two enormous horns that looked like they could pierce through metal. Just looking at the beast made me feel afraid.

Yuffie immediately sprung into action. She pulled a handful of ninja stars out of her pocket and hurled them at the monster. It jumped away from most of them, but one star stabbed into its front paw. It roared with a yell so horrible that my entire being, from my hands all the way into my heart, shuddered. Even Yuffie and Merlin had to plug their ears, cringing.

The wolf monster pounced at Yuffie, slashing her across the arm. I winced, but she just became outright angry. She kicked the beast right in the jaw, then kicked it aside into the wall. It growled angrily and charged, smashing her across the room with its head. Merlin tried to freeze it with his magic, but it threw him to the floor as well. Then it looked straight at me.

I gasped and tried to hide farther behind the dresser, but I was frozen in fear. The monster drew closer and closer, staring right into me with its deep yellow eyes. I had never felt so afraid in my life. My heart pounded like a hammer, my body felt cold as ice, and my mind was screaming GET THE HECK OUTTA HERE! But I couldn't move.

The wolf's lip curled back over its teeth as if smiling. It opened its jaw wide to clamp around my neck and kill me. At the last instant, Yuffie leapt forward with a huge ninja star in hand, stabbed it right into the beast's back, and the creature disappeared in a puff of fog.

I had never been so close to dying. I sat on the floor in shock, heart still racing, and I slowly started to breathe again. Yuffie put a hand on my shoulder. "You OK?" she asked worriedly.

"What was that thing?" I stammered. "Was that a Heartless?"

"No," answered Merlin. "I'm afraid they're much worse than that." He slowly got up from the floor. Yuffie ran over to help him. "We call them Terrors. They are like Heartless, in the sense that they're beings of darkness. However, they don't prey upon people's hearts. Rather, they feed off of fear."

"Fear?" I repeated.

"Yes, did you feel that menacing chill in your heart as it entered the room?"

"Yeah."

"Terrors give off an aura that induces fear in their foes. Whichever being is most affected, or feels most fearful at the moment, is the victim the Terror chooses to go after."

"Oh," I said, looking down in embarrassment. I guess I was more of a coward than I thought.

"Don't feel bad, dear," Merlin reassured me. "No one can face them without feeling somewhat afraid. They are built to scare."

"Yeah!" exclaimed Yuffie. "Even I'm still scared of 'em!"

"Well, you certainly didn't show it," I muttered. Yuffie smiled. "Oh, you couldn't tell? I was as scared as you were! But the trick is not to look them directly in the eye. If you can look into the eyes of a Terror without feeling afraid, you aren't scared of anything."

"But no one is able to do that," added Merlin. What was I going to do? I didn't know how or if I could even get back to the islands. Even if Sora, Riku, Kairi, and Roxas figured out I was on another world, they'd have no idea where to start searching. And on top of it, Sora had only trained me a little bit in swordplay. I probably couldn't even defeat Heartless if I tried, much less Terrors…

"Train me," I demanded.

"What?" asked Yuffie, taken aback.

"Train me to fight Terrors," I repeated. 'I need to be able to defend myself. As long as I'm trapped here and those monsters are running around, I can't always have one of you close by to fight them off."

"But you must," replied Merlin. "No one in this town travels alone anymore. It isn't safe."

"Still, it can't hurt to know how to fight them off," I retorted. Merlin sighed. "I suppose you're right, it can't. Well, she should see Leon then."

Yuffie grinned. "My thoughts exactly."


	6. Chapter 5

Ello! Thank you to everyone who has taken time to read this fic! Hopefully, I'll get some reviews soon so I know how I'm doing:( but anyway I forgot the disclaimer at the beginning. I don't own Kingdom Hearts or any of its characters, ideas, awesomeness, etc. There. Enjoy.

Chapter 5

"So, you wanna fight Terrors?" questioned Leon. We were in the cave I had entered when I had first arrived. I had already examined the mural on the wall again to see if there was any way to open it back up. As far as I could tell, there wasn't.

"Yeah, that's the idea," I replied.

"I don't think it's a very _good_ idea," he countered, giving his sword a few practice swings. Of course it is, you thick-skulled bozo! I could die! That's what I wanted to say. Instead, I simply asked, "Why not?"

"Because enough people are dying from them as it is," came the short reply.

"That's why you're teaching me to defend myself against them…"

"No kid should be fighting these things. It's terrifying."

"I'm not a kid! And I'm not afraid."

He looked at me gravely. "You will be." I grabbed a practice sword off the rack, and leapt at him, bringing it down quickly, and with a few fast jabs and a kick, he was on the floor, disarmed. One of the most important things Sora had taught me: the element of surprise. I smiled coolly and said, "I think I can handle it."

With a sudden jolt, he kicked my sword out of my hand, then leapt up while grabbing his weapon and aimed it right at me. Now I was the vulnerable one. "Never get cocky in combat," he said, lowering his blade.

I laughed weakly. "C'mon, that first attack was pretty good, right? I could tell you were impressed!" There was no response. He just walked a few paces away and began practicing his swing again. "Ok, just trying to lighten the mood…" I muttered. Still no reply. _Wow_, I thought, _does this guy even know how to smile?_

Later that evening, everyone was over at the house of a man named Gepetto. He had a son named Pinocchio, then there was Yuffie, Merlin, Leon, and I was introduced to Aerith and Tifa too. We were all enjoying dinner when suddenly there was a scream outside. Leon quickly rose and grabbed his sword. Yuffie got up too, but Leon told her to stay. "In case they come in here, too," he explained.

"Then I'll go and fight with you," Tifa said, heading for the door. Yuffie whined. "Oooh, I never get to help with the big battles!"

"Go ahead," I spoke up. "I got the house secured." I flashed Yuffie the thumbs-up. "No, you've hardly had any training at all," argued Leon.

"You haven't been my only teacher," I scoffed. Sora had taught me all the basics of battle anyway. Leon, so far, had really taught me anything at all. "Stay," was Leon's final word, then he and Tifa ran off to help the citizens in danger. Yuffie sighed and sat back down with everyone, but I remained standing. I headed toward the door.

"Katie, what are you doing?" Yuffie yelled. "Helping," I replied as I opened the door to the starry night sky.

"Leon told you to stay. And he's right, it's too dangerous. Please just stay here." I felt a rage boiling inside me. I clenched my fists as I turned to face her. "No one ever thinks I can do anything!" And with that, I charged outside, running in the direction Leon and Tifa had gone.

"Wait! You don't even have a weapon!" Yuffie called after me.

"I'LL IMPROVISE!" I screamed back as I disappeared around a corner.

Hi! Thanks for reading! I know it's been pretty slow and not much has happened…but it gets better! Battle scene coming up X) and the story gets more interesting. PLEASE review! Thanks so much for the support :)


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

As I ran, my anger started to disappear as doubt started to creep in. No, I didn't have a weapon, and although I could find something to use, it would be much different than a sword, which is what I was used to. I grabbed the closest thing to a sword that I could find: a stick. I gave it a few swings, then continued running. I thought, _A stick. A stick to fight off dangerous monsters that are lethal even when using true weapons. I'm screwed._

I finally found Tifa and Leon in the Second District. Down below, they were fighting three Terrors. They fought as well as they could without directly looking into the Terrors' eyes. Tifa sharply kicked one into a wall. It howled as it smashed against the stone and dissipated. But while her back was turned, another Terror had snuck up behind her and pounced. It pinned her down to the ground. Leon ran to help, but the other remaining Terror jumped in front of him.

I ran for the stairs as fast a s I could, trying to get down there to help. The Terror had locked eyes with Leon now. Dropping his sword, he slowly backed up until he was cornered against a wall. I sprinted towards him with all my might. "LEON!" I heard Tifa scream as she struggled to escape the Terror. Just before the other one could close in on Leon for the kill, I yelled, "HEY FREAK!" and hurled the stick with all my might. Then three unexpected things happened.

First of all, the stick actually hit. I had never had the best aim, but it smacked the Terror in the head. Secondly, the impact didn't frighten the Terror away as I hoped it would. Instead, it just made it angry. And third, now both Terrors were prowling towards me, not just the one I had attacked.

I froze, trying to decide what to do. Before the fright could completely overtake me, I turned away from their gazes and took off like a bullet. As the Terrors chased behind me, I realized that they were probably faster than me. I rushed around corners, hoping to slow them down and prayed I could keep my speed up long enough to lose them.

I heard Tifa yell my name in worry, but I was too afraid to look back. I saw a door ahead of me. I ran and grabbed the handle, yanking it open. One Terror was right behind me. It pounced but I slammed the door right in its face before it got me. Breathing heavily, I walked over to a couch in the room, slumping down with a sigh of relief. _I'm alive,_ I thought,_ Yes! I didn't die! I saved Leon and Tifa too!_

I couldn't wait to tell everyone back on the island. Well, if I ever got home…

Then I heard a whimpering noise. I looked under the couch and saw several Dalmatian puppies huddled together. They looked terrified. "Hey, what's wrong?" I asked soothingly. Suddenly, a deep chill entered the room. It was exactly the chill I had felt in Merlin's house when I first got here. I looked toward the entrance of the house to see mist pouring in through the crack under the door. Then, just like before, the Terrors formed in the room. Now I was trapped. And I was dead for sure.

Cornered, I rapidly searched the room for some sort of weapon or anything to defend myself with. Suddenly, the door burst open and Tifa and Leon charged in. Tifa immediately started fighting one of the Terrors. Leon pointed his blade at the other. There was a BOOM! and the Terror was obliterated. His sword had a gun on it?

I looked over to see Tifa locked in combat. With a few hard punches and a smack on the head with a lamp, that Terror too faded away. The room temperature returned to normal and my heart calmed down. Leon turned to me with a stern expression. I smiled weakly.

"You were almost killed," he glared.

I looked down, partly ashamed, partly mad. "So were you."

"I told you to stay inside!"

"I just wanted to help!"

"If Tifa and I had gotten to you even a second later, you'd be dead right now!"

"Well, if I had gotten to _you_ even a second later-"

"I told you to wait inside!"

"I saved your life! You could at least be a little grateful!"

"Katie, drop it," Tifa muttered quietly.

"But-!" I started to protest.

"You don't belong here! Go home before you get hurt!" Leon yelled. 

"I'd love to!" I screamed back, "But the fact is, I can't! And while I'm here I might as well help!" Leon grabbed my arm and looked me straight in the eye. I thought I could almost see tears behind his grave expression.

"I don't need another life on my conscience."

And with that, he walked out the door.


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

After that, things were different. During training, Leon hardly spoke at all. There was only the occasional "Good" or "Try again" as we were sparring. And he never looked at me. He was always glancing off to the side as if hiding something. I tried to ignore it, but finally the question just came out.

"Leon, what's wrong?"

"Huh?"

"You just seem…out of it lately."

"I'm fine," he said, blocking my attacks. I stopped the blows for a second.

"Well, I was just seeing if you were OK. I mean, it's not healthy to be so unhappy all the time!" I exclaimed with a huge grin, trying to cheer him up. He looked at me as if to tell me something but then simply said, "That's enough training for today."He put his sword back on the rack and left the cave. I stayed there for awhile that day, thinking.

It had been a full week now since I left the island. I had no way to contact anyone and I felt awful. Had they given up by now? Were they still searching? How long would they look before they just assumed I was dead? I missed them more than I had ever missed anyone before. They needed to know I was alright.

Training had become harder and harder. Leon was always so distant and I didn't feel like I was learning anything. This sure wasn't what I thought of when I heard the word "adventure". I thought back to the night before everything had happened. How had I gotten here? I had only wished for a little action to liven things up. I hadn't wanted all this. But then I wondered: if there was a passage connecting this world to mine, were there more leading to even different worlds? If so, I might be able to find another way home. And then I could always come back to visit, too! Still, with all the trouble from the Terrors, I did want to stay and help. I couldn't just ditch these guys. But maybe I could find more people who would be willing to get involved…

For the next few days, I spent every bit of free time scouring the town for secret doors. If I could get a bunch of people from other worlds to rally together against the Terrors, we could get rid of them for good. I told Leon I was done training. He seemed surprised, but he was fine with it, since he didn't want me fighting anyway. Then I told Yuffie I would patrol the town with Tifa and told Tifa I would patrol with Yuffie. Everyone thought I was somewhere else. I had all the time I needed.

I spent countless hours searching the Gizmo Shop. There were so many odd contraptions and switches that I figured there had to be a trick hidden somewhere. Finding nothing after a whole day of rigorous lever pulling and button pushing, I headed for the exit. As I sighed and stepped outside, I didn't recognize where I was. Oops, wrong door. But as I turned around to go back in, I saw a ladder leading to the roof. I figured it was worth exploring.

As I reached the top, I looked out over the edge to see a dazzling view of the entire Second District. It really was breathtaking, especially when lit up at night. I really was going to miss this world when I left. I had seen so many things, met so many people…

For a moment, I forgot what I was doing. Then, shaking all thoughts from my head, I went to work exploring. There wasn't much to go through. There were just a few crates and an old bell. However, behind the bell, there was a wooden board. Upon feeling it for anything strange, I discovered that it was, in fact, a door. It could be pulled open and shut again. And behind it lay a dark tunnel.

_Perfect, _I smiled as I crept in and closed the plank behind me. I had found my second portal.

As I crawled through the tiny hole, my heart picked up a beat. For some reason, I felt excited. Like I was heading toward something important. My knees were starting to ache. I hoped I would reach the other side soon. Eventually, the tunnel widened out enough to stand up in. Then I came to a solid wall. At first, I thought it was a dead end, until I noticed an indent on the ceiling of the dirt enclosure. Upon pushing up on it, I saw that it lifted like a lid. After opening it, I grabbed the edge of the hole and hoisted myself up.

I appeared to be in someone's yard. The grass-filled lawn was beautifully green and as the door to the tunnel flipped shut behind me, I saw that it blended in perfectly with the greenery. I laid a pin from my hair on the spot so I could find it again. Then I examined the world around me. The yard had a large fountain and small gardens all around with colors galore. Behind everything lay some trees, like a small forest. The air was crisp and refreshing. Evidently, I was in the backyard of a large and beautiful mansion.

I walked up to the back door and looked inside. There were no lights on. It looked quite abandoned. I shrugged, then pulled on the door. It was open. I walked in to find an enormous open room almost like a lobby. There were some nice chairs in one corner and a few decorations but, for the most part, it seemed no one was living there.

"Hello?" I called. There was nothing but dead silence. I looked through the house, searching different rooms, but couldn't find anything unusual, or any_one_ for that matter. I decided to go check out the rest of the town. I found the front door of the mansion and stepped outside. It was a beautiful day. I could already tell I would like this world. Although, some sign of life would be nice…

There was a huge gate in front of the mansion but it wasn't locked, so I pushed it open. There was a path leading into some dark woods. Why was everything always dark? I groaned and started to walk. The woods were actually nice. They had a mysterious feeling to them that I enjoyed. After a few minutes, I found the exit. I stepped out into the sunlight. Before me was a large city with tall buildings, brick roads, and street cars driving around. It was a lot to take in at once.

That's when I heard yells off in the distance. Someone was in trouble.


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

I rushed in the direction of the scream. I didn't know what was wrong or how I could help, but I had to try. I ran across a street and into a large clearing that looked like some kind of arena. I saw a bunch of kids in the middle. Three were tall and menacing, while the other three were shorter and getting picked on. _Oh no, _I thought, _it's a gang fight._

"Can't you idiots ever just back off?" yelled one blond boy who was being surrounded by the other gang.

"Seifer, c'mon, just leave us alone," said another boy with black hair. The older kids started laughing. The one who seemed to be the leader, presumably the one named Seifer, stepped forward.

"Yeah, and what are you gonna do about it, shorty?"

I hated bullies. I couldn't wait any longer. I ran over, yelling, "Leave 'em alone!"

Everyone turned towards me.

"Who's this?" sneered Seifer. "Your girlfriend?" I just glared back at him, not knowing what to say or even what I was doing. But something inside me was really ticked off and without thinking, I clenched my fist and lashed out. Everyone froze. Even me. I had just punched a guy in the face. A guy who was much taller and stronger than me and was the leader of a gang. Great. I knew what was going to happen next.

Before he could strike me back and start a huge fist fight, I ran for the nearest exit. But I didn't react soon enough. He grabbed my arm and threw me to the ground, rage in his eyes. He was about to pummel me, when suddenly the other blond kid let out a war cry and charged forward. Right as he tackled Seifer to the ground, the war broke out.

Fists flying and tempers flaring, I mostly just ducked and dodged under arms until I was out of the mob. A girl with long curled brown hair who had been with the blond kid and the other boy was standing on the side, watching. She looked worried.

"The fights never go this far," she told me, "Everyone is gonna get really hurt!"

"Naw," I grinned, "watch this." Reaching down, I picked up a stick from the ground and called, "HEY FREAK!" Everyone stopped fighting and looked over at me. I aimed and hurled. A dead hit! The stick collided with Seifer's face right in the forehead.

Outraged, he yelled, "KILL HER!"

Then I took off running, him and his two cronies chasing after me. I hoped the word "kill" had been used as a metaphor for "beat up" because I really didn't feel like dying right then. Not that either option was preferable…

When I glanced back, not only were Seifer and his gang chasing me, but the other three were following as well. They were only there, though, to see how this all ended. I swiftly ran through the busy streets, avoiding bumping into anyone. My pursuers just barreled through everyone. I picked up the pace a little.

Then I spotted a big doorway which seemed to lead to a maze of roads. It was my only hope of losing them, so I ran in and hid around a corner, watching the entrance. Seifer and the other two stopped when they came to the opening.

"The subway tunnels? Those are totally haunted, y'know?" said the buff guy in red.

"Spooky," added the tall girl who was also in Seifer's gang.

"You wusses," Seifer grunted, stepping into the tunnel. He was heading toward me. I had to think fast. I inhaled, then slowly exhaled through my teeth, making a low whooshing sound.

_Whooooooooooosh…_

Seifer paused. "Did you guys hear that?"

I made the sound again.

_Whooooooooooosh…_

"Seifer, there's somethin' in there, y'know!" called the other guy, spooked.

"Shut up, Rai!" hissed Seifer. Then I quietly picked up a rock from the ground and clanked it against the wall.

"I heard footsteps, y'know!"

"Something's in here…" Seifer slowly backed away. _Alright_, I thought, _time to get rid of them for good. _I let out a huge laugh that echoed ominously through the corridors.

They freaked.

"GET ME OUTTA HERE!" screamed Seifer, flying out of the tunnels like a rocket, pushing past his sidekicks. They turned tail and ran screaming too.

"I told you they were haunted, y'know!"

They disappeared into the distance. I walked out of the tunnel, relieved to still be in one piece. The other three were waiting outside. The blond boy grinned.

"That…was brilliant." We all started laughing.

I came to find out that the kids' names were Hayner, Pence, and Olette. Hayner was the blond one who was sort of the leader of the group. Seifer, Rai, and Fuu, the other gang, had a sort of rivalry with them. Apparently, no one had ever humiliated Seifer like that before. Pence and Olette thought it was great and Hayner said I was the greatest person he had ever met. He would retell the whole thing over and over, beaming the whole time.

"Then you smacked him in the face! He was not expecting that! And in the tunnel, when they totally freaked? Man, I laughed 'til my sides hurt!"

I, however was a little more uneasy. Everytime we passed by Seifer's gang, he would glare at me like he really was gonna kill me. I tried to avoid them at all costs. I needed to look for people who could help out in Traverse Town. Unfortunately, the only likely candidates seemed to be Seifer, Rai, and maybe Hayner. Everyone else seemed to be ordinary townsfolk. Hayner was eager to face danger and he knew how to fight. He had learned how to wield a club from a sport called Struggle. Supposedly, it was the town hobby. Seifer Struggled too and obviously wasn't afraid to go after someone…

Hayner would be easy to convince. It was Seifer and Rai I was worried about. But I had to try. For Leon, Yuffie, and everyone else.

While Hayner, Pence, and Olette were off in town one day, I watched Seifer and Rai practicing in the Sandlot. Seifer was practicing with his Struggle club and Rai was beating up a punching bag. Well, they obviously had_ some_ skill. I worked up my nerve and approached them.

"Uh…could I talk to you for a minute?" I asked. Seifer surprisingly put down his weapon and crossed his arms, listening. His ice cold glare never left his face, though.

"Well…" I began, "I know we didn't exactly start off on the right foot…" Seifer snorted as if to say "No kidding!" but I ignored him and kept going. "…and I acted pretty stupidly. I got angry really fast and I just wanted to….say sorry…"

There was an awkward pause. Seifer looked at me like he was gonna say "Are you serious?" Rai exchanged glances with him. Then they both started laughing. I was offended, but I held back from yelling or storming off or something stupid that would make it worse.

"I needed your help with something," I spoke up. Their laughter slowly died and they looked down at me, waiting.

"I'm looking for people who are willing to fight," I told them. Seifer suddenly grinned slyly.

"I'm willing to fight," he snickered, pounding his fist into his hand, taking a step forward. I backed up, suddenly regretting coming here alone. I got ready to dash in case things got bad.

"I didn't mean to fight _me_," I explained, holding up my hands innocently. "There's this other town that's in trouble. There are monsters everywhere. They invaded and put everyone in danger. There are already people trying to protect the town, but we need more….will you help?"

Seifer crossed his arms again. There was a long silence. Finally, to my surprise, Seifer answered.

"We'll do it."


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

"You did WHAT?" yelled Hayner.

"I had to invite them," I told him, "We need all the help we can get."

"But…but they're jerks!" he protested.

"Thanks," snarled Seifer, who was standing against the back wall.

"We're right here, y'know?" added Rai. We were in the Usual Spot, a small little hideout that Hayner, Pence, and Olette always hung out in.

"Ugh, this is so not cool!" complained Hayner. "I have to work with_ them_?"

"You don't have to help," I stated, "but I'm leaving with them regardless of what you do." Hayner groaned.

"Fine, I'll go…."

I led them all to the mansion gate. "This is that old abandoned place, y'know? What are we doing here?" asked Rai.

"This is how we get there," I answered, opening the gate. "It's through here." We walked into the mansion, going out the back door into the yard. I got down on the ground, feeling for the hole. "There's an opening here somewhere," I explained. Hayner and Rai started searching too. Seifer stood off to the side, arms crossed impatiently. Then I spotted my bobby pin on the ground.

"I think I found it!" I called. Everyone rushed over. I gripped a handful of grass and yanked upward. The cover flipped open to reveal the cavern below.

"This is real weird, y'know?" Rai announced, looking warily into the hole. I just shrugged and climbed down into the tunnel. But they did all follow me and soon we were back in Traverse Town on the Gizmo Shop roof.

"Wow!" exclaimed Hayner, looking out at all the buildings and shops.

"So what do we do now?" asked Seifer, still seeming very annoyed with me. I told them to follow me and led them off the roof down into the 2nd District. Just then, a pool of darkness appeared on the ground in front of us and a Terror emerged, snarling.

"What is that?" yelled Hayner.

"One of the monsters!" I answered. "Run and don't look it in the eye!" We all took off. As we ran, I scanned the ground for anything to use as a weapon. Suddenly, Seifer stopped running and turned around to face the Terror.

"Why should we run from one puny enemy?" He clenched his fists and stared it down.

"No, Seifer! Don't look at it!" I screamed, but it was too late. It already had him under its spell of fear. He froze in place. The Terror got closer. Rai and Hayner stood stunned, no clue what to do. I charged forward and, with a loud cry, kicked it in the face. It reeled back, shaking away the dizziness. It growled, showing its teeth. Well, I had gotten good at making Terrors mad. Not that that was a good thing…

It charged at me and I quickly grabbed a plank that had fallen off a nearby bench. As the Terror pounced, I swung, smashing its jaw and knocking it into the ground. It dissipated. Heart pounding as usual from the fear and adrenaline, I slowly set the wooden beam down. I had done it. I had killed a Terror! I let out a sigh of relief. Seifer started to get up from the floor, but when he looked my way, his eyes filled with horror again.

"LOOK OUT, KATIE!" Hayner screamed, pointing. I whipped around to see a Terror behind me, pouncing right for my throat. In that instant, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a flash of silver and the Terror disappeared inches from my face. I saw that it was one of Yuffie's ninja stars.

I looked up to see Yuffie running toward us. She jumped down from the ledge she was on and hurtled over. She grabbed me by the shoulders and yelled, "ARE YOU OK?" My ears ringing, I replied,

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks to you."

"Where the heck were you? We were SO worried! When we finally realized you were gone, we looked everywhere! We started to fear the worst…"

"Sorry about that…" I apologized, "I was in another world."

Her eyes widened in shock. "What?"

"Yuffie, I found another door! All the worlds really are connected!"

She looked confused but she suggested we go back and tell everyone I was alright. Then she gestured to Hayner, Rai, and Seifer. "Who are they?"

I grinned. "Recruits."

Back at Gepetto's house, everyone was gathered for dinner again. Yuffie burst in first, exclaiming, "Katie's back!" I walked in to see everyone confusedly looking my way, then even more confused upon seeing the others. I tried to act natural.

"Uh…hi guys," I said waving. "Long time, no see."

"Good heavens!" cried Merlin, "where on earth have you been?"

"Um…it's kinda hard to explain," I started. "Remember when I first got here and we couldn't figure out how I got from my world to this one?" Everyone nodded. "Well, it turns out there are these hidden passageways, and so I figured we could get more people from other worlds by traveling through them and fight off the Terrors once and for all!"

"What?" demanded Leon. "We are not dragging more kids into this!"

"Hey gramps," Seifer finally spoke up from the corner. "I'm not a kid! And we'll handle these bozo monsters!"

"Those _bozo _monsters could easily kill you, or any of us," he snapped back.

"Leon," I joined him, "the fact is, you can't protect a whole town by yourself. You need help." He just looked downward, eyes closed. Merlin had started to pale and looked like he was really worried about something.

"I…I have to go," was all he said, and he left quickly. Yuffie followed him out.

"Merlin, where are you going?"

_What was that about?_ I wondered. Then I turned back to Leon. "So…when does training start?"


	11. Chapter 10

Hi! Thank you so much for reading and favoriting and stuff! I feel so loved X) But I wish more people would review…those who have reviewed, THANK YOU SO MUCH! YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IT MEANS TO ME! Everyone else….please review XD thanks, now on with the story!

Chapter 10

For the next few days, we worked day in and day out learning to defend ourselves. Hayner stuck to using a club, but Seifer learned to fight with a Bo staff. He was actually pretty good. Rai didn't use a weapon; he said he preferred 'beating 'em up by hand, y'know?' Guys.

I was getting really good with a sword. Sometimes I almost beat Leon when we skirmished. He was loosening up about the whole 'helping out' thing too. He never told us again that it was too dangerous or that we should go home. Finally, one day, Leon came up to us before training and said, "Alright, you guys have done well. I've taught you just about everything I can."

"So we can fight real monsters now?" exclaimed Hayner excitedly.

"Yes. However, training isn't over yet. This is your final test."

"Test?" groaned Hayner. "Aww, no way!"

Leon ignored him. "You're going to go into town and slay a Terror. The first person to do so wins."

"Win?" I cried. "This is a test! Shouldn't it be pass or fail?"

"Alright," Leon corrected himself, "Fine. If you slay one, you pass."

"And if we die, we failed, right?" joked Hayner. Leon glared.

"Yeah. Then you failed."

It was a cool damp morning. I took a deep refreshing inhale of the crisp air. I was ready. I could feel the adrenaline rising in me. I took off through the Second District, searching, hunting. I was hunting the Terrors. They weren't hunting me.

The streets were completely empty. I listened intently for any sound at all. All I heard was a slight breeze and my own breath. _Everyone else must still be in the First District_, I thought. I kept walking, when suddenly, I heard footsteps behind me. I whipped around, but there was no one there. I slowly turned back around to see a Terror on top of a building as it pounced right at my face. I quickly guarded with my wooden sword and shoved it to the ground. Then instinct took over.

When it gnashed and clawed, I parried. When it hesitated, I swung. All the while, I was trying not to look into its eyes or let the already impending fear settle in too deep. I got a hit in a few times, but my mind was a blur, just a mix of fear, adrenaline, and will to survive.

At one point, it reared back to take a huge swing with its claws. I saw my chance. Before it could strike, I lunged forward, stabbing it through and sending it into the mist of the morning air. I stood there for awhile to calm down. I did it. I did it!

"I DID IT!" I screamed. Just then, Hayner ran around the corner.

"Hayner! I did it! I slayed a Terror! How about you? How'd you do?" He didn't reply. Instead, he had a grave expression.

"We gotta go to Merlin's right away.

"What's up? Is everything OK?" I asked, worried by his serious face.

"I don't know," he explained. "I think something's wrong."

When we got to Merlin's house, Yuffie, Leon, Seifer, and Rai were waiting. "What took ya?" asked Seifer.

"I was busy taking out a Terror," I smirked smugly.

"Hmph, I took out, like, five," he grunted.

"Yeah right, you probably couldn't even find one!" retorted Hayner.

"Shut up!" Seifer yelled at the snickering blond.

"Ok everyone, you all passed," Leon started. "Keep your weapons. You'll need them to start patrolling."

"Alright! We get to start real work!" cheered Hayner. I glanced down at my sword. A wooden sword to patrol with? C'mon, we weren't fighting vampires here.

"And, uh, Katie?" Leon said, holding a long black box. "This is for you." He set it on the table and opened the lid. Inside was a magnificent sword. It had a beautiful golden handle and a shimmering silver blade. I carefully ran my hand across it. It was smooth as silk.

"Wow…" was all I could say. I lifted it out of the box and examined it. It had a nice feel to it. Everyone backed up as I swung it through the air a few times, listening to the _whoosh!_ as it sliced through nothing. "Thank you," I murmured.

"It's kinda a gift from all of us," Leon continued, "That handle is pure gold and the blade is solid mythril. It's newly forged and sharp enough to cut a boulder clean in half." I felt guilty.

"It must have cost you a fortune…"

"Naw," Yuffie chimed in, "we get everything free at the Moogle Shop. We just wanted you to have it as a kind of 'thank you' for helping out!"

"That's no ordinary sword either," explained Merlin. "It has certain magical properties to it. For one, its strength and light is guided by its master. If you lose faith, that will turn into an ordinary dull blade. So stay strong and let your light shine."

"I'll try," I announced confidently.

"Second, you can call out to the sword and it will return to you."

"Try it," said Leon, taking the weapon from me. I closed my eyes. I felt a bond between my heart and the sword, like a string of light was tying us together. I concentrated on that light and, holding out my hand, felt the sword appear between my fingers. I opened my eyes.

"It's like a Keyblade…" I thought aloud. Leon and Merlin looked surprised.

"You know about the Keyblade?" Leon questioned.

"Yeah, my friends Roxas and Sora each have one," I explained.

"Roxas?" Hayner, Rai, and Seifer all yelled simultaneously.

"You know him?" I asked confusedly.

"He lives in Twilight Town too. He hangs out with Hayner's group," Seifer told me.

"So you must be from the Islands!" exclaimed Hayner.

"Yeah!" I shouted, both of us getting so pumped up that we temporarily forgot that anything was wrong.

"Don't get too excited," Leon ordered. "We haven't told you the main reason we met here yet." We all listened intently.

"We have some grave news," Merlin announced. He went on to explain that he had researched old texts for days while we were training and had discovered that the tunnels I had found had indeed existed all over, but were sealed long ago. "All worlds used to be connected by the Portals," he continued. "However, when the Heartless were born, they could travel too easily through the worlds and corrupt them. So Keybearers from all over spread to each world and sealed all the Portals to protect them from darkness. Then they put a spell on all the Portals that would summon up a worthy hero in time of need, in case the seals were ever broken."

"And that Hero would face the Corruptor in combat, and upon vanquishing him, the Portals would reseal," finished Leon.

"Corruptor?" repeated Seifer.

"What's that, y'know?" asked Rai.

"The Corruptor is the one who broke the seal and unlocked the Portals," explained Leon.

"I still don't understand why this is bad news," I stated. Leon looked down at his shoes. Yuffie and Merlin looked uncomfortable too. An uneasy silence filled the room. Suddenly I realized what they were getting at. I stepped back, my mind going into a blur.

"No….no, it can't be me. I didn't mean to find it the first time!"

"Katie…" Yuffie stepped forward.

"No!" I screamed, losing it now. "I didn't know! I DON'T WANNA DIE!"

"Katie, it's ok! We're not asking you to," she reassured me.

"But the Portals are open now because of me!" 

"Shh, calm down, I know. We have a plan."

"One that doesn't involve dying," Leon added in.

"Ok good, 'cause Seifer is totally getting attached to her," grinned Hayner.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY? I OUGHTA POUND YOU INTO THE GROUND, YOU LITTLE-!"

Hayner just laughed and ran around the room, teasing him even more. I was glad Hayner was good at comic relief. I was starting to calm down now.

"So here's the deal," Leon explained. "The Terrors had to come from somewhere. They couldn't just show up. So, if we found the entrance to their world from here, we could take out the whole nest and be rid of them for good." Everyone cheered, except me. I didn't doubt that destroying the Terror's home would solve the problem in Traverse Town, but I knew eventually the Portals would have to be resealed. And for that to happen, the Corruptor would have to be killed.

Maybe, in the end, we're all just stars waiting to fall…


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

It's been two and a half weeks since I left the island. Everyone here in Traverse Town has been looking for more Portals, particularly the one the Terrors are coming from. It's hard to focus and not think about my family and friends. But it's a lost cause at this point. They've probably given up on me by now.

The number of Terrors lurking around seemed to dwindle. I guess our defense was pretty good and they figured out that they couldn't easily take over. But until we took them out for, we couldn't rest. We thought we had found the right Portal multiple times, but they all turned out to lead somewhere else. I really wanted to explore those other worlds, but Leon said we had to stick to our mission.

After days of scouring, we had no luck. We decided to call it quits. We needed a new plan.

"This just isn't working," sighed Yuffie.

"So what now?" asked Seifer.

"Now we get more help," I declared.

"What good will that do?" wondered Leon.

"If they have a gummi ship, it'll make it a lot easier," I grinned, turning to Hayner. I had a plan. "When Roxas visits the Islands, how does he get there?"

We had gone back to Twilight Town: Seifer, Hayner, Rai, and I. I couldn't believe I hadn't thought of it before! Roxas had to get to Destiny Islands somehow and if I could get there the same way, then I'd be back with all my friends again and we could use Sora's gummi ship to go searching for the Terror's world! I was so excited I could hardly stand it. I had the whole scene played out in my head. How I would burst off the boat before it even reached the shore, how I'd run to my house and hug Mom and Dad and tell them it was alright now, how I'd run outside to find Riku and Kairi and Roxas and Sora all talking by the big palm tree and we would have a huge group hug and I'd promise never to leave again.

We took a train out to another section of town called Sunset Heights. From there, we headed to Sunset Beach and got on a boat. It was a beautiful sunny day as we cruised toward the Islands. The sea winds felt just like the warm breeze of my home world that I was so accustomed to. _Almost home_, I told myself.

I could just see the tips of the trees on the horizon. I leaped up, shouting for joy. Hayner cheered with me, us jumping around like maniacs and making complete fools of ourselves. Rai and Seifer just sat there and pretended to ignore us, but I had a feeling they completely wanted to join in. As we got closer, the whole main island came into view. That's when my heart stopped.

As the boat pulled up to the shore, I stood frozen in place. The islands were in ruin. Trees were dead, houses were caved in, and there wasn't a soul in sight. Even the big palm tree in the middle of the neighborhood had been ripped through at the trunk and had fallen over.

No one knew what to say. Rai looked down uncomfortably. Seifer just stared silently out at the sea. Hayner slowly got up, walked over, and put a hand on my shoulder. "Hey…I'm sorry," he half-whispered. I had no idea what to say or even what to think. Then I saw movement. It was coming from my house. I dashed over to find my parents stumbling out of the house.

"Mom! Dad!" I screamed, hugging them tight.

"Katie?" Mom asked confusedly. "You're…you're alive?"

"Yeah Mom, I'm fine. It's OK, I'm here now."

"What happened to you?" demanded Dad. I could tell how upset they were. I felt awful. They had assumed I was never coming back.

"It's a long story," I tried to explain. "I kinda….got lost."

"You got lost on the island for two weeks?" Dad asked skeptically.

"No, I wasn't on the island. I…I'll explain later, OK? What happened here?"

"There were these horrible creatures," my mom started. "They were all black and had huge horns and teeth. They just showed up without warning…they destroyed everything."

Then it suddenly made sense. By opening the Portal to Traverse Town, I had also allowed the Terrors from Traverse Town to get to Destiny Islands. Any other ones that were opened would allow them even more accessibility to other worlds. Then I gasped. Twilight Town.

I turned and bolted back towards the boat. That's when I saw Kairi coming across the island. I yelled her name and started running her way.

"Kairi!"

"Katie?" She didn't quite believe it was me at first, but as she jogged forward, she confirmed that she wasn't just imagining things, and she too broke into a run. "KATIE!"

We shared a very brief hug but I had to get straight to the point. "Where's Sora?" I asked.

"Looking for you," she replied. So are Roxas and Riku. Ever since you disappeared, they've been searching nonstop. They told me to wait here in case you came back."

I smiled inwardly. They really were still looking for me. Of course they were, they were my friends. This was also bad news though, because it meant we didn't have the gummi ship.

"OK, we have to go right now," I said, heading back toward the boat.

"Katie, where the heck were you?" Kairi stopped me.

"It's a really long story. I'll explain on the way. C'mon," I told her and we both climbed into the boat.

After introducing Kairi to Hayner, Seifer, and Rai, we explained everything to her. I started with how I had accidentally found a Portal and how I met Leon and Yuffie and everyone else. Then Hayner took much joy in telling the part about me outsmarting Seifer. Seifer was still pretty bitter about it. Then we told her about the legend and that's when things got awkward.

"You mean…you're the Corruptor?" she questioned.

"Yeah," I replied.

"Katie!" she cried, eyes widening in realization. "That means you have to-!"

"We know," Seifer cut her off.

"Well…what are we gonna do?" she wondered.

"We're gonna take out the Terrors, that's what we're gonna do," I stood up. "We're gonna slay every Terror we ever come across." I could feel a fire burning deep down that grew with every word I spoke. "We're gonna find their nest and tear it apart! We're gonna destroy their home world so they can never come back again!" I yelled, drawing my sword. "THEY DON'T GET TO MESS UP OUR WORLDS!"

Hayner grinned. "Look out Terrors," he laughed, "The Corruptor herself is coming to get you!"

Full of passion and rage, I looked out at the wide and endless sea. "They better know I'm not on their side."

By the time the boat pulled up to Sunset Beach, we already had a plan. Hayner would stay at Sunset Heights and watch for Terrors. Seifer and Rai would take the train back to the main sector of Twilight Town and they would patrol that area. Kairi and I would head back to Traverse Town and explain the situation to Leon and the others. Hayner complained that he had a boring part of town, but the other sector was so much larger that two people would be needed to patrol, and Hayner didn't get along well with Seifer or Rai. So I told him it was best to pair up this way. He was a little upset but he agreed.

As Kairi, Seifer, Rai, and I exited the train station, I told Seifer and Rai to patrol as much area as possible. Now that a Portal to this world had been opened, it was susceptible to attack at any moment. Then we parted, Kairi and I heading for the old mansion.

We got to Traverse Town as fast as we could. We went to Merlin's first but no one was there.

"They must be at Gepetto's," I thought aloud. I led Kairi down to the cave we trained in and handed her a wooden practice sword. "You might need this…" I told her.

"You know I'm awful at fighting," she laughed.

"Yeah," I replied, "but just trust in yourself and don't be afraid." She didn't know how literally I meant that last part.

We ran toward Gepetto's but when we got to the Second District, there was a commotion down below. _Terrors!_ I thought. I drew my sword and ran down the steps. My instinct was already rising inside me, thirsting for battle. I leapt toward the Terror who had pinned its victim down, about to go for the kill. With the sword raised above my head, I brought it down through the Terror's body and the monster vanished.

Much to my surprise, the victim was Riku. And he looked just as surprised as I was, if not more so.

"Riku?" I said skeptically. I couldn't believe it was him! He looked from the sword to me. "Katie?" he asked getting up from the ground.

"Riku!" I yelled, wrapping my arms around him, happy to find someone else I had been missing for weeks. I guess he felt a little awkward since we weren't super close or anything, but after a second, he accepted the hug, squeezing me back.

"Katie! Man, where have you been?" he worried. "We looked everywhere! Roxas and Sora were so upset…"

"Well…" I scratched my head. I started to tell him my tale. I was just getting to the part about the Legend when Roxas entered from across the District. When he saw me, he froze in place. I stood there too, both of us wide eyed. Riku grinned.

"We found her."

Then I bolted toward him and his face lit up as he sprinted toward me. As I got closer, a wave of emotions spilled over me. I squeezed him hard and let loose all the lonely tears I had been keeping in those last few weeks. He threw his arms around me, trying to comfort me, but I couldn't stop.

"Katie, gosh, I was so scared! I thought-!"

I could sense he was losing it now too, as his voice stumbled.

"I thought that you-!" he sputtered through clenched teeth. "If anything happened to you, I don't know what I-!" Then he gave up on explanations and just sobbed into my shoulder. I promised myself I'd never leave anyone behind again. I laid my head on his shoulder as I continued to crying, trying to talk between tears.

"Roxas….I'm sorry…."

Well…what did you all think? A lot sure happened in this chapter, that's for sure XD please please please review! I wanna know how I'm doing and what you think! Even if you don't like it, review because I want to know what I did wrong or can improve on! The story is getting intense now…O-o don't worry, it gets even better! Please stay tuned for more X)


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

I was in much higher spirits now that we were mostly back together again. Sora was off searching other worlds for me. Roxas and Riku had borrowed a gummi ship from King Mickey that they had been using to travel between worlds. They told me they had been meeting back on the Islands every few days to check in with Sora. If we waited there, he would be back soon.

We decided to make sure Twilight Town was under control before heading back to the islands. I was excited to see Sora again, but at the same time, I dreaded it. I dreaded having to tell him what had happened and what had to be done. The dark reminder lingered in the back of my mind. I was the Corruptor. And either Sora or Roxas was probably the Hero, both of them being Keybearers and saving the worlds on a regular basis. In the end, they would have to strike me down.

I shook the thoughts from my head. We all boarded the gummi ship. I had never been on one before and I was excited and nervous at the same time. We all sat down, with Riku at the wheel.

"Hey, you drove last time!" complained Roxas. "Move over!"

"OK," Riku held up his hands innocently, moving over. "Why does it matter?" Roxas plopped down with a smirk on his face.

"Because you drive boring…" Then he turned back to Kairi and I. "Ready?" he yelled.

_For what?_ I wondered, but before I could say anything else, Roxas slammed down on the accelerator and we shot into the air. Spinning sharply and driving at breakneck speeds, we whipped through space, all of us screaming our heads off. Then our yells melted into laughter as Roxas eased into a slow gentle drive. I smiled and looked outside.

It was incredible. Brilliant lights and colorful worlds lit up the whole sky. A falling star shot into the distance. I quickly made a wish. I wanted everyone to be safe and sound again. I doubted that was possible under the current circumstances, but hey, my last wish came true. It was worth a shot.

"This is amazing," I thought aloud, staring into the night, wide eyed.

"Isn't it?" said Riku, walking over to the window next to me.

"Everything is so beautiful," added Kairi.

"Yeah," I smiled. "Right, Roxas?"

He seemed to have spaced out. He was staring straight ahead with an almost sad expression on his face. "Roxas?" I repeated, a little worried by his spaciness.

"Huh?" he snapped out of it. "Oh. Yeah, it's great."

When we got to Twilight Town, we checked on Sunset Heights first. Within our first two minutes of arrival, we spotted trouble. There was a commotion by the train station. There was no telling if they were Terrors, but people running from the station and screaming gave me a pretty good guess. I ran as fast as I could toward the scene.

"Katie, wait up!" yelled Roxas as I ran ahead, but I didn't stop. I had to get there as soon as possible. As I arrived, I saw three Terrors, surrounding a woman and her little kid. I drew my sword and hurled it at one of the Terrors. It sliced right through the monster, shredding through black mist. I called the sword back to me, ready to fight. "Who's next?" I yelled to get their attention. They turned toward me.

"Run!" I yelled to the mom and her child, and they bolted for shelter. Then I focused. The two creatures slowly circled me, eyes locked onto their target. Then instantaneously, they both lunged, one from each side. I quickly moved out of the way and they collided in the air. Then I swung at one of them and caught it on the shoulder, my blade cutting straight through. It howled in pain, and the horrifying cry caused me to cringe. In that split second that my defenses were down, the other Terror saw its opening and slashed. Its lethal claws dug deep into my arm. The whole left side of my body felt like it had just exploded into flames. I dropped my sword and wrapped my hand around the cut, wincing.

Then, both Terrors came at me together and I couldn't think straight. I called my sword to me just before they pounced, but I couldn't hold them off for long. They struck relentlessly, blow after blow, and I was weakening. My arm. I could only focus on my arm. I would swear it was on fire.

Luckily, the others had caught up by then. Roxas ran forward, hurling his Keyblade and took out one of the Terrors. Riku leapt forward and swung his blade at the other, knocking it backward into a wall. The Terror quickly recovered, but seeing that it was now outnumbered, it retreated into a vortex of darkness. Kairi ran up, panting.

"Everyone OK?" she wondered.

"Mostly," I replied through clenched teeth, still gripping my injury. It was throbbing now.

"Katie, you're hurt!" she cried. Roxas pulled my hand away, quickly examining the gash. "This needs to be taken care of right away," he stated.

"Here, I'll bandage it up," offered Riku. He slipped a bandaging cloth out of the pocket in his vest and tied it around my arm. After Riku had just finished taking care of my wound, Hayner showed up. "Hey guys!" he ran up, out of breath. "Man, they just keep coming! I can't keep up with them all!"

"I'll stay and help out," Roxas decided. "You guys go back to the Islands for Sora and figure out where the Terror's world is.

"Alright," I replied, and we turned to head toward the ship. I hoped Seifer and Rai were surviving over in the other part of town. We got on board and headed for Destiny Islands as fast as we could. As we made the silent trip, I stood, gazing out at the vast starry sky.

_There are so many stars in the sky. They say each one is a different world, and with each one shining so bright, they light up the entire night sky. Is one mistake from one person really enough to put them all out and plunge the sky into darkness?_

We were getting closer to home when suddenly the ship stopped moving. I walked over to the driver's seat where Riku was sitting. "What's happening? Why'd we stop?"

"I don't know," he replied. "Something is pulling us a different way." The ship was steered off to the side and we had no control over it anymore. After a few minutes, it landed in Traverse Town. We all stepped out confusedly. Merlin and the others were waiting.

"Ah, there you are," Merlin spoke up. "I called you here with my magic. We think we may have found the entrance to the Terror's world."

I quickly drew my sword, crouched in a battle stance. "Where is it? Let's go!"

"Just hold on," Leon stopped me. "We don't even know what we're up against. We're gonna need as many people as we can get."

"Where are Hayner, Seifer, and Rai?" she cocked her head.

"Patrolling Twilight Town," I explained. "The Terrors struck there too…and on the Islands…"

"What?" exclaimed Riku. I realized we hadn't told him yet.

"Riku, Destiny Islands is in ruin. The Terrors destroyed everything…."

"Is everyone OK?" he yelled.

"Yeah," Kairi told him. "Luckily, no one was hurt."

"Well, that's odd," Leon joined the conversation. "A Terror's only purpose is to feed off of others' fear. By killing them."

"So you're saying…" I started.

"Whatever wrecked your world wasn't a Terror."

"But that doesn't make sense," I denied, sorting through my thoughts. "My parents said they were huge black creatures…with horns and-"

"They were Terrors," Kairi confirmed.

"Then…someone must have stopped them from actually harming anyone," he decided.

"But no one was really there to fight back," explained Kairi. We all fell silent now, thinking. When I saw the Islands, one thing that did seem odd was that the houses themselves weren't pummeled or shredded. It was more that everything inside them was thrown around and torn apart. Almost like they were searching for something. Or someone…

"Merlin, how do we know who the Hero is?" I asked.

"Well, I um…let's see…" he stuttered, pulling a book out of thin air. He flipped through the pages, searching for the right passage. "Aha!" he exclaimed. "Here! 'If the seal is ever broken, a Hero will rise up and seek out the Corruptor. He may not realize who he is searching for or even realize that he is searching, but he will find the Corruptor and destroy him.'"

My throat closed up. I turned to Riku, my heart becoming so weighted that I could hardly carry it anymore. "Wasn't Sora the first one to come looking for me when I disappeared?"

"Yeah, why?" he answered. My eyes started to tear up.

"He's the Hero."

OH NO! So many plot twists, aaah! Thank you, my faithful readers for continuing to read this story until now:) the next chapter is the big finale (WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN?) I can guarantee there will be even more twists to the story XD and if you haven't reviewed yet, there's still time….thanks for reading! I'll try to have the final chapter posted sometime tomorrow! And the epilogue shall come soon after…


	14. Chapter 13

This is it, folks! The finale to the whole story! OMG ARE YOU ON THE EDGE OF YOUR SEAT? You better be XD get ready…here goes! (it's gonna be pretty long, just an fyi…)

Chapter 13

Everything was so messed up. I was in love with the one person who had to kill me to save the worlds from an evil I hadn't even meant to unleash. I couldn't figure it out. One minute I was living a happy content life with my friends, a life that was uncomplicated, and the next thing I know, I'm staring death in the face. The worst death possible. How would I explain everything to Sora? I suddenly disappeared without warning, he searched endlessly for me, and finally when he finds me, he's gonna have to kill me. It would break my heart to tell him. It would also break my heart to tell him how much I cared about him. At this point, it would only make the killing that much harder. I couldn't tell him. I couldn't hurt him any more than I already had to.

I could tell everyone wanted to say something to cheer me up, but no one could find the right words. I didn't blame them. I didn't even know what to tell myself. It was utter silence as we drove to Twilight Town. Riku was going to explain everything to Roxas for me. I was afraid that I would break down and cry as soon as I opened my mouth. Then we would head over to the Islands and do the same routine for Sora. But I had decided, before I resealed the Portals, I was going to help demolish the Terror's world. They deserved every bit of it, for taking away everything I held dear. My home, my friends, my family. My life.

Leon and the others had come with. We picked up Seifer and Rai too. Kairi quietly told them what had happened. They didn't cry but I could tell they were upset. Seifer kept clenching and unclenching his fists the whole train ride. Finally, we arrived in Sunset Heights. When we first got there, Hayner saw us and immediately ran over, yelling.

"Hey, guys! What's up?" But then he saw our solemn faces and paused. "Uh…is something wrong?" he wondered. Riku pulled him aside and told him everything. The grin that was usually plastered on his face slowly disappeared. He walked over to me, face downcast. "Katie…I'm so sorry." I tried to look cheerful.

"It's…it's alright," I smiled. But the smile quickly faded as tears slowly ran down my cheeks. "Aww man, Katie," Hayner stuttered, trying to console me. "This sucks. I would take your spot if I could."

"…Thanks, Hayner," I sniffed, forcing a small chuckle. Then I looked around. "Where's Roxas?"

"Right here!" I heard a voice call, and there he was, running up to us from behind. "Hey, the whole group's here," he commented.

"Yeah, um…Roxas?" I started.

"Yes?"

"I need to tell you something…"

"I have to tell you something too. But uh, you first."

"OK. Well, there's this legend…and for everything to go back to normal…Sora has to-…to-…

"Take her life," Riku finished for me.

"No," Roxas cut in. "You have to take _my_ life."

"What?" I demanded, not understanding what he was saying.

"You're the Hero, Katie. I'm the Corruptor."

I stepped back, not believing what I was hearing. How could he be the Corruptor? Nothing made sense. What was happening?

"Katie, put an end to me," he said sternly, looking straight into my eyes.

"Roxas, I don't understand…"

"Hurry! There's no time!" he yelled. "Do it! Before-!" Suddenly, he doubled over, holding his chest in pain.

"Roxas? What's wrong?" I screamed.

"GET OUT OF HERE!" he hollered, his body becoming shrouded in a dark aura.

"ROXAS, WHAT'S HAPPENING?"

"RUN!" Then with a huge blast of darkness, another being burst out of him and he fell to the ground, unconscious. Before us stood a boy in a black and red suit and he held an ominous-looking Keyblade. But what scared me the most was his face. He looked almost exactly like Sora. The only difference was that his hair was black and his eyes were gold and menacing.

"Well, hello Hero!" he sneered. "You finally found me!"

"YOU!" screamed Leon, charging forward with gunblade in hand. But when he brought his sword down, the boy simply blocked and threw him aside with no effort at all. Panting, Leon got up, enraged. "You're the one who killed Rinoa! You took her from me!...and I couldn't save her," he sobbed. With a war cry, Tifa and Yuffie both ran forward too. They struck hard and fast, but the Sora look-alike still managed to avoid all their blows and knock them to the floor. I had had enough.

"Who are you?" I screamed.

The boy smirked. "My name…is Vanitas."

"Alright, _Vanitas_," I spat out. "Tell me…WHAT THE HECK DID YOU DO TO ROXAS?"

"Nothing really," he shrugged. "You see, five years ago, your friend Sora had to give his heart to darkness to seal the Keyhole to the Heartless' world. When that happened, the darkness in his heart created me. However, he managed to get the light part of his heart back. But I rebroke the seal he had created on the Heartless in an attempt to engulf all worlds in darkness. Roxas then joined forces with Sora to destroy me and bring peace to the worlds once again. Or so they thought.

A fragment of me remained behind and I hid deep in the depths of Roxas' heart, sleeping. If I had invaded Sora's heart, he would have simply returned to his previous state. His heart was pure light now; I couldn't survive there. But by infiltrating a new and different heart, I could wait, slowly regaining my strength. Eventually, I regained my full force. And now that I can survive on my own again, I'll destroy your very existence so that no Hero can stand in my way! Every world shall fall to darkness!"

"Not if I have something to say about," I growled, drawing my sword. Vanitas just laughed.

"You'll be dead before you can even blink!"

"Maybe," I shrugged. "But either way, I'm taking you down with me."

"Hmph, we'll see about that," he laughed, readying for battle. Everyone else drew their weapons and stood protectively in front of me

"Back off," Seifer snarled, staff at the ready.

"How cute!" Vanitas mocked. "You brought a squad of bodyguards! Well, I brought mine too." With a smirk, he snapped and a pack of Terrors appeared in front of him. I narrowed my eyes, quickly analyzing the situation. There was one Terror for each of us. I raised my sword and cried,

"ATTACK!"

We all charged forward, choosing our opponent. A clash of claw and weapons sounded through the valley. The largest and strongest Terror of the group, the leader, prowled toward me. I locked eyes with him, accepting the challenge. But I felt no fear. I gripped my sword tightly and slowly walked toward him, never looking away. This caused him to hesitate. All other battles had halted. Both sides were watching us, waiting to see who was stronger. Slowly, the Terror started to back away. I looked deep into his eyes and kept stepping closer and closer. He kept backing up.

"What's the matter? Scared?" I asked.

The Terror growled at this, trying to hide any uncertainty he had. He prepared to strike, but before he could act, I pounced forward and slashed. The leader fell, becoming nothing but mist. Everything went completely silent. The others stared in disbelief. I turned to the Terror pack. "Well, who's next?"

The Terrors exchanged glances as if deciding what to do. Then, all at once, they retreated into the shadows. I shot Vanitas a smug grin. He just grunted. Then, quick as lightning, he charged forward, swinging his Keyblade at me. I parried just in time, blocking the rest of the blows that he began hurling at me. Everyone else rushed to help. Rai dove in to deliver a punch to his face, but Vanitas got the first hit in. Hayner threw himself forward, swinging wildly, but he too was no match. One by one, our team fell to the ground, bruised and exhausted. Now it was just me and Vanitas.

I clenched my teeth and fists. I hated him so much. I wouldn't let him get away with everything he had done. I screamed and leapt through the air, bringing down the sword with all my might. He raised his key and blocked it, sparks of light and darkness flying as opposite forces clashed. My fury took over as I swung like crazy at him, unable to think or reason anymore. He effortlessly blocked every attack I tried.

"Is that all you got?" he smirked. Then he shook his head disappointedly. "I expected a lot more from the Hero."

I growled and swung fiercely, but this time, I felt the blade slice through air. He had vanished. Suddenly, he appeared behind me and kicked me sharply in the back. I fell to the floor, my sword flying out of my reach. I rolled over to get back up, but he pinned me down with his foot. I struggled to get up, but he was too strong. I clawed at his boot, trying to shove it off of me, but that only made him press harder, threatening to crush me. Staring down with his glimmering golden eyes, he reached over with his Keyblade and slashed across my bandage, opening my wound back up. The burning sensation exploded through my body again. I let out a scream, wincing and trying to stop the tears of frustration and complete pain that began to form in my eyes. I reached for my sword, trying to call it back to me, but the aura of light around it had gone out completely.

Vanitas set his blade to my throat, then drew back, ready to strike. Hayner staggered to his feet and ran toward us, screaming my name. But I knew he couldn't make it in time. So this was it. After all I'd been through, this was how it was going to end. I looked up at the sky, which had begun to darken, bringing in the night. A single star fell…

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a Keyblade flew into Vanitas' gut, propelling him backward. It swung around like a boomerang, returning swiftly to its master's hand.

"Sora!" I yelled, coughing and struggling to stand up. He ran over quickly.

"You OK?" he asked worriedly, helping me to balance. I didn't even answer his question. I threw my arms around him and let him hold me close. He couldn't even imagine how much I had missed him.

"Katie, I'm sorry…this is all my fault," he apologized, tightening his arms around me. "I'm sorry." Vanitas got to his feet, enraged, and pointed his weapon threateningly at Sora.

"Stop interfering!"

Sora once again drew his Keyblade, stepping forward in front of me, holding a hand out protectively to shield me from Vanitas. Vanitas sprinted toward us and Sora ran out to meet him in battle. Just before they clashed, Vanitas warped above and behind Sora, but Sora leapt away, parrying his attack in midair. He used his land as footing for his next jump as he sprung at Vanitas, striking hard. But Vanitas' target was still primarily me. After deflecting Sora's attacks, he found an opening in the Keybearer's guard and knocked Sora over. Then he warped over to me, but I was ready. I called my sword to me and expertly avoided all his attempts to harm me. I could tell he was becoming more and more frustrated and angry. My cut still burned horribly and his blows kept getting harder and harder. It became more difficult to defend his strikes.

Luckily, the others had started to get up. Leon, Yuffie, Tifa, Hayner, Seifer, Rai, Riku, Kairi and Sora all came at Vanitas at once. He leaped, blocked, and warped in between everyone, escaping the frenzy unscathed. Someone had to end this. I brandished my sword and charged forward. This time would be different. This time, I was focused and I was not going to let him hurt my friends again.

I swung upward, almost knocking his Keyblade clear out of his hands. Then I sent blow after blow at him, watching how he deflected them each time. When I had figured out his pattern, I faked a swipe to the left and swung around his blade, cutting him across the chest. He staggered backwards, gripping the gash I had just given him.

"This…this isn't over!" he gasped, stepping backwards into a dark swirling portal.

"Don't let him get away!" I heard someone yell. Instinctively, Sora and I both ran and dove into the opening just before it closed. We found ourselves in a huge round cavern that stretched upward endlessly. In the center of the floor was an enormous gaping hole swarming with darkness.

"You wanted to find the Terrors' world!" called Vanitas, who was floating above the abyss. "Here it is! This is the source of all Terrors! And soon the darkness and the terror will swallow you and all of the worlds!"

Suddenly, hordes of Terrors spilled out of the dark pool. They surrounded us, gnashing and growling, hungry. Sora and I stood back to back, blades at the ready.

"Katie, you have to be the one to strike Vanitas down," he told me. "I'll hold these guys off! You finish this!" I nodded with determination. I tried to escape the circle but the Terrors prevented me from doing so. Sora hurled his key, taking out the few in front of me, then started to fight the rest, distracting them while I headed for Vanitas.

"It's over, Vanitas!" I called.

"Is it?" he grinned, his empty eyes watching me.

"Yes!" I swung in at an angle toward his hip, but he flipped sideways over my blade. Then he sent a sideways hit at me, which I managed to hold off. Our attacks went back and forth for awhile, him mimicking my every move. But one time, rather than parrying him, I stepped sideways and dodged his lunge altogether. Quickly, I struck his arm, causing him to cry out and drop his Keyblade. I shoved him against a wall, blade set to his throat. I had him.

"Shouldn't you be worrying about your friend?" he asked. I glanced back. The Terrors had cornered Sora on the edge of the dark portal and were closing in. I had a choice to make. Kill Vanitas and risk losing Sora or help Sora and risk Vanitas escaping again. I doubted we would have the strength to chase him back down and fight him again. I had a split second to decide. Sora was starting to fall backwards…

I dove into the dark hole after him. The darkness wrapped around us, suffocating us. We struggled to escape. It began to pull us deeper. I suddenly realized we may not be able to get out again. My blade's light went out completely.

I lashed about, trying to find Sora. I couldn't see and I didn't feel him anywhere. I felt cold as tendrils of darkness began to wrap around my heart. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to hold onto something. Anything.

I thought of the Islands, our home, our sanctuary, and I felt a tiny glimmer of hope within me. I thought of my parents, who had never stopped caring or worrying about me when I disappeared. My sword began to faintly glow once more. I thought of all the people, all the friends, I had met on my journey that taught me so much. Leon, Yuffie, Merlin, Tifa, Hayner, Pence, Olette, Seifer, Rai. The blade's light grew stronger. Then I thought of Riku, Kairi, Sora, and Roxas. My closest friends. They were always looking out for me and thinking of me.

Sora grabbed my hand and an enormous warmth filled my whole body as the light from my sword exploded outward, dispelling the darkness, shining brighter than ever before. It burst through all the darkness above and below, destroying every Terror that lurked inside. We climbed out, me holding up my sword as a beacon. All the other Terrors fled, whimpering, disappearing without even looking back. Vanitas cowered against a wall, away from the light. I walked over to him and he cringed, shielding his eyes. He was defenseless. I pulled back my sword.

"The dark cannot overcome the light."

With that, I thrust the blade through his chest, light exploding out of him in all directions, piercing his dark soul. He screamed as it burned through him, then he dissipated, becoming nothing more than ash on the wind. I stood there in awe. It was over. I had destroyed him for good. Finally, Sora broke the silence.

"Someone had some aggression to let out." He grinned and I returned the smile. Then his face became more serious. "Katie…I'm sorry. For everything. I didn't mean for any of this to happen. Roxas and I, when we fought him five years ago, we thought he really was gone for good. When we suspected maybe he could come back, we just didn't want to worry anyone. I know you get worried enough already when we go on missions and stuff. But we should have told you. All of you."

"No, it's OK," I reassured him. "You were just trying to protect us. Like any good friend would."

He smiled. "I…guess I don't really need to worry about you anymore, huh?" He chuckled, glancing down at the dangerous blade I held in my hand.

"No, you still do. I'm scary when I fight with this thing," I joked. We both laughed. Then I looked down at my feet. There were three words I wanted to say to him right now, but I didn't know how to do it. Instead of telling him, I showed him. I ran forward, sword disappearing from my hand, and gave him a warm heartfelt hug. He stepped back in surprise at first, then after a moment gave a small laugh and hugged me back.

"I missed you too."

After I let go, I did say three words to him. They weren't the same three I really wanted to say, but right now, he already knew I cared and the same words were on his mind too. "Sora…

"…let's go home."

Yay for cute and happy endings! XD I greatly hope that you enjoyed the story. The epilogue will probably be up sometime tomorrow, or possibly on Monday. Please review and tell me what you thought of the ending or the story in general! Thanks so much for reading, it means a bunch!


	15. Epilogue

Epilogue

Over the next few weeks, everyone on the Islands worked together to rebuild houses, replant trees, and fix any mess or problem that had occurred. Life slowly began to return to how it was. Once everything was put back together and Destiny Islands was as it should be, Sora, Kairi, Riku, Roxas, and I had a small celebration. We hung out, talked, and watched the sun set over the horizon. Life was good again. We stayed out on the island until late, watching the moonlight dance along the ripples of the water. Then with content hearts, we smiled, said our good nights, and headed home.

The sun was high in the sky when I awoke the next morning. I could hear the seagulls soaring above the waters that lapped up against the shore. I knew everyone was already outside waiting for me, because I could hear their voices. I heard Sora, loud and talkative as usual, then Kairi's energetic voice, and Riku's occasional grunt. Then I heard Roxas, laughing along with the others and another voice, one I heard less often than the others. Hayner? I threw on jeans and a T-shirt and ran out the door.

When I stepped outside, Hayner, Seifer, and Rai were waiting with the others.

"Hey guys!" I waved, slightly confused.

"Hey, you're awake! About time!" teased Hayner. I couldn't help but chuckle along with him.

"So…what's everyone doing here?" I wondered.

"Well, we got a new mission," Roxas started. "There's a problem over in Radiant Garden. The Heartless are coming back and they can't figure out why. You up for another adventure?"

"You…you want me to come with?" I asked, feeling a smile creep across my face.

"Duh, why do you think we were waiting here all morning for you?" Hayner replied.

"You are the Hero after all," grinned Sora. I chuckled to myself.

"Alright, then let's go!" I yelled. With that, we all cheered and ran for the gummi ship, racing to see who could get there first. I knew this was going to be the start of a whole new life. I was one of them, a hero. And they were my best friends. No one could ever stop us.

I guess, in the end, not all stars are made to fall. Some are made to shine. *


End file.
